I read these out of order and shouldn't have because this one was a huge letdown after how much I enjoyed Tools of Engagement.
Synopsis: A second chance romance after Rosie and Dominic Vega, high school sweethearts, are not feeling it anymore after 10 years. Ex-soldier Dom is a great provider but completely ignores Rosie and Rosie has had to put off her restaurant dreams to make it work. In a last-chance effort to revive their marriage, Rosie moves out and demands marriage counseling, something Dom is more than eager to try to make things right.
Plot: Yeah, I don't know about this one chief. I felt no real connection between the two of them, even after their "reconciliation." The only thing they had was physical and it felt as if Bailey was using it as a plot device to show they were making progress in their relationship when they really weren't. So steamy as always, but I didn't understand how their personalities worked together. Each semi-romantic moment just ended in sex so no real development was made and it felt a little raunchy rather than sweet. There was also a huge emphasis put on love languages, so much that it made the book almost an informational pamphlet on the topic, which felt inauthentic. I loved the approach of making them both realize their mistakes because many books only make one side out to be the bad guy, typically the guy, so that was a good chance of pace. However, a huge point of the storyline was "needing a man to help you follow your dreams," which I didn't love. Rosie could have accomplished her restaurant dreams with or without Dom.
Characters: This guy is named Dom for a reason. He was so domineering and overprotective that it was borderline toxic. We were supposed to be cheering on this guy for doing the bare minimum and never at any point did I feel they were right for one another. It was very possessive, with so much lack of trust: "I trust you, I just don't trust men." Rosie unfortunately also wasn't my favorite either. She wasn't super understanding of Dom's PTSD from his time in the army and was very selfish when it came to terms of making the relationship work.
Will always love Tessa Bailey's writing style, and will continue to read her books but this one was a miss for me.
2.5 stars.
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